Method of making thermoplastic joints



July 3, 1945- R. N. STEFFENS 2,379,500

METHOD OF MAKING THERMOPLASTIC JOINTS Filed March 26, 1942 ,57 v I 3 f I /3 3 I i 36 l I 3 I6 33 36 i I T I 32 a; $2 4 W }5 ROBERT N- STEFFE VS FIG.6. s rp INVENTOR Patented July 3, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE METHOD OF MAKING THERMOPLASTIC JOINTS Robert N. Steffens, New York, N. Y.

Application March 26, 1942, Serial No. 436,256

4 Claims.

This invention relates to methods of and apparatus for making thermoplastic joints, particularly for joining strips of thermoplastic material, or the ends of a strip of such material to produce a belt of uniform thickness.

An object of this invention is to provide a highly improved method of the character described, for joining meeting ends of strips of thermoplastic. material, or the ends of a strip of such material to make a belt, without any overlapping of material at the joint, and so that the material at the joint is of uniform thickness with the remainder of the strip or belt.

One application of the improved method is forming endless die wiping belts for die stamping presses used for imprinting from intaglio engraved plates and dies, the belts serving to remove surplus ink from the plate or die surface. The construction of die stamping presses prohibits installation of pre-formed endless wiping belts into the press. For this reason, the strip of wiping material must be threaded through the various parts of the press and the ends of the belt must then be attached together, so as to form an endless belt. The present improved process is particularly applicable for attaching the ends of a wiping belt made of thermoplastic material such as Pliofilm," Vinyl Resin, Vinylite, Koroseal, or the like thermoplastic sheets.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus of the character described, which may be easily manipulated, and which shall be inexpensive to construct and economic-al to operate, and which may be used for joining together the ends of a strip of thermoplastic material threaded through the mechanisms of a. die stamping press to join the ends of the strip together for producing an endless belt of uniform thickness throughout, without any increase in thickness or bumps at the joint.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the combination of steps, features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the method and apparatus hereinafter described, and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing, in which is shown one of the various possible illustrative embodiments of this invention,

Fig. 1 is a. top plan view of apparatus embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line I in Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is a side elevational view .of apparatus embodying the invention, and illustrating a modified construction.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, in designates a clamp forming part of the apparatus embodying the invention, for joining together the ends II and I2. of a strip or strips l3 of thermoplastic material. The ends H and I2 may be the ends of a single strip, or the ends of a pair of strips of thermoplastic material. The thermoplastic material may be Vinyl Resin, Vinylite, Koroseal, Pliofilm, or the like thermoplastic material.

The clamp It] comprises a guide member I4 having a bottom wall I5, and parallel, upstanding guide flanges l6. On the guide I4 is a fixed clamp l1 and a slidable clamp I8. Fixed clamp l1 comprises a pair of substantially similar, symmetrically disposed jaws or clamp plates l9 and 20. The clamp plates l9 and 20 have a width equal to the distance between the flanges l6. Said plates have horizontal top and bottom surfaces and may be of substantially similar thickness.

The bottom plate l9 may be fixed to the guide M by screws 2| screwed through vertical threaded openings 22 in the bottom wall I5, and through threaded openings 23 in the underside of 'plate openings 23. Said plate I8 is furthermore formed with vertical through openings 28. communicatml with the sockets II.

The upper jaw plate 28 is formed with vertical through o enings 28. registering with the openlugs 28. Extending through the registering o e lugs 33 and 28, are bolts 28 having heads located within the countersunk sockets 28. Nuts are screwed to the upper ends of the bolts 28, to press the plates I8 and 28 together.

It will be noted that one of the strips I3 is placed between the clamp jaws I8 and 28, with the end I I of the strip projecting beyond the operating ends of said jaws. It will be noted furthermore, as illustrated in the drawing, that the forward ends of the plates I8 and 28 are inclined rearwardly and outwardly, as at I8a and 28a, for the purpose hereinafter appearing.

The sliding clamp I8 comprises a bottom jaw plate 32 and a top law plate 33 of the same width as the jaw plates I8 and 28. The clamp I8 is adapted to slide between the guide flanges I4, as shown in the drawing. Said jaw plates 32 and 33 are preferably of equal thickness, and similar to the thickness of the jaw plates I8 and 28.

The jaw plate 32 has countersunk sockets 34 on the underside thereof and is formed with vertical through openings 35. Each plate 33 is formed with vertical through openings 38, registering with the through openings 35. Extending through the through openings 35, 36, are bolts 31 having heads disposed within the sockets 34. Nuts are screwed to the upper end of the bolts to press the plates 32 and 33 together. The bolts 31 are spaced apart similarly to the bolts 38, so as to be disposed on opposite sides of the strip I3 which is received between the plates 32 and 33.

It will be noted that the forward end I2 of strip I3, gripped by the clamp I8, likewise projects beyond the inner ends of the law plates 32, 33. It will be noted furthermore that the forward ends of said jaw plates are inclined rearwardly and outwardly, as at 32a and 33a, similarly to the inclination of the surfaces I8a, 28a.

The operation of the apparatus to join together the meeting ends or the strips I3 will now be explained.

The two ends of the thermoplastic strips are firmly held by the clamps I1 and I8, with the inner ends of the strips projecting beyond the knife or shearing edges of the clamps. The projecting ends of the thermoplastic material are trimmed ofl against the leading edges of the clamps to square off the edges. The clamps are then loosened and more material is exposed and the clamps are then again tightened.

Clamp I8 is then moved towards clamp II. However, a chromium plate or stainless steel blade or knife 48 heated to about 350 F. is interposed between the meeting ends of the strips, as illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawing, so that the ends of the strips contact the opposite surfaces of the hot blade or strip of metal indicated by numeral 48 in the drawing.

Preferably about $4; of an inch of thermoplastic material projects from the inner ends of the two strips. The sliding clamp is then pressed toward fixed clamp I'I causing the protruding ends of the strips to press against opposite sides 01 the blade and become heated and plastic and soft. The hot blade 48 is then withdrawn and clamp I8 is moved further toward clamp I1 to the position shown in Fig. to cause the plastic ends of the strips to meet and be pressed together so that they will become fused.

At the same time, the jaws I81: and 28b at the inner ends of the surfaces Ila, 28a, practically contact or do contact, the jaws 32b, 33b at the inner ends of th surfaces 320, 33a, respectively, to smooth out the joint and make the Joined portion of the strips of uniform cross-section. Excess material will be squeezed up and down into the V-shaped grooves formed between the surfaces 28a, 33a and He, 32a. These strips will be Joined to the belt by a narrow neck and can be easily stripped off, or will be sheared of! by the edges of the clamps.

The thermoplastic material will not become attached to the chromium plated or stainless steel hot blade. The portions of the clamps close to the heated edge are also preferably chromium plated, so that the plastic material will not adhere thereto. After the Joint is formed bolts 31 may be loosened and clamp I8 may be moved back. The two clamps may then be opened up by withdrawing the nuts on the bolts 28 and 31.

It will thus be seen that there is formed a smooth butt joint edge to edge, and that the thickness of the joint is the same as the thickness of the strip or strips.

In Fig. 8 there is shown apparatus Ilia embodying the invention and illustrating a modified construction. The apparatus I8a comprises a pair of clamps 48 and 4|. Clamp 48 comprises a pair of similar, symmetrically disposed, clamping jaws 42. Each clamping jaw 42 comprises a thin knife blade 43 attached to or backed by a metal plate 44.

Clamp 4i comprises a pair of similar, symmetrically disposed jaws 45. Each jaw 45 comprises a knife blade 46 fixed to a backing plate 41. The knife blades 46 also extend beyond the backing plates. The jaws of each clamp may be attached together by screws similar to the screws 28 and 31 of Fig. 1. One of the jaws 42 of clamp 48 is attached to a rod 48. One jaw 45 of clamp H is attached to rod 48 pivoted to rod 48, as at 58. The clamps are on equal radii so that upon swinging rods 48 and 48 about their common hinge 58, the clamps will be brought together.

The strips I3 of thermoplastic material are gripped in the clamps and the meeting edges are brought into abutting relation by swinging the rods 48 and 49 relative to one another. The method of carrying out the process of forming a butt joint is similar to that described above for apparatus I8.

It will be noted that the edges of the clamps in apparatus I8 or Ilia, adjacent to the thermoplastic material are shaped in such a way that the meeting edges of each clamp form approximate knife or shearing edges, with the body portion of the clamp relieved either by the formation of an acute angle or any other means. This construction results in a shearing pressure at the joining joint of the thermoplastic material, and also provides an area into which surplus material can readily flow.

It will be noted that the jaws may either be co-planar or swung about equal radii, it being a dominant feature of the invention that the jaws are so associated that relative movement therebetween will cause the inner edges of the thermoplastic strips to meet in abutting relation whereby to form a butt joint.

consisting in clamping said portions with end edges protruding toward each other, and with said portions in the same plane, moving the clamped portions toward each other, against oppos'ite sides of a heated member to cause the protruding edges to become plastic, and then removing the heating member and moving the plastic edges into mutual abutting contact to cause the plasticized edges to contact and become fused together and joined, and shearing off any material that flows above or below the upper and lower surfaces of said portions of sheet material at the joint, whereby to produce a joint uniform in thickness with said portions.

2. A method of making a belt from a strip of thermoplastic material, of uniform thickness. consisting in holding end portions of the strip in spaced relation, with free end edges of said strip in opposed, parallel position, moving said edges into contact with a heated element to plasticize the same, and moving the plasticized edges into abutting contact with each other to cause the same to be fused and joined together to produce a belt, and shearing off excess material on the opposite surfaces of the strip at the joint, in the planes of said opposite surfaces, whereby to make a joint uniform in thickness with the remainder of the belt.

. 3. A method of making a belt from a strip of thermoplastic, synthetic material of uniform thickness, consisting in heating end portions of the strip to plasticize the same, moving the plasticized edges into abutting contact with each other to cause the same to be fused and joined together with each other to produce a belt, and shearing off excess material on the opposite surfaces of the strip at the joint, in the planes of said opposite surfaces, whereby to make a joint uniform in thickness with the remainder of the belt.

4. A method of joining together the end edges of two portions of thermoplastic, synthetic, nonmetallic sheet material, consisting in clamping said portions with end edges protruding toward each other, and with said portions in the same plane, heating said protruding portions to make the end edges plastic, and moving the plastic edges into mutually abutting contact to cause the plastic edges to contact and become fused together and joined, and shearing off any material that flows above or below the upper and lower surface of said material at the joint, whereby to produce a joint uniform in thickness with said portions.

ROBERT N. STEFFENS. 

